Ahead of the Game
by Shy neko
Summary: Why you don't play games with Xellos. Especially when you endanger what he cares about. XF


I think I'm beginning to see a few patterns... _Anyways, _I don't own slayers. I never well own Slayers. That doesn't stop me from borrowing a few characters and using them to write these nice little fics. Enjoy.

Ahead of the Game

The Darkstar mission was over. The game would begin again. Precautions would have to be taken, as this turn belonged to Dynst. Losing was not an option- the stakes have risen too high.

Filia hummed softly to herself as she busied herself around the kitchen. Valgaav's egg lay on the table. Jiras and Gravos were due back soon, as she had given the morning off. She wanted to have lunch ready for them when they returned.

The shop bells jingled as some one walked in. "One moment please!" Dusting off her hands, she froze in the doorway. A mazoku had walked in. And it wasn't Xellos.

"Filia Ul Copt?" the blue haired female asked.

Filia swallowed at the mazoku's tone, "Hai."

"My name is Sherra. I've been sent for Valgaav."

Fear forgotten, Filia stood straighter, preparing for a fight, "You can't have him."

Sherra smiled. "No? Then I'll just have to take him!" Spitting out a laser breath, Filia dodged Sherra's attack just in time...

No one went anywhere near the smoking ruins. Though it had been quiet for quite some time now, no one wanted to take any chances. Jiras and Gravos had been led away to the inn. And so no one was around to see a strange man appear near the building that once been shop and home to one Filia Ul Copt.

Picking through the rubble, the man slim man soon found what that which he sought. Kneeling down, he carefully grasped the unconscious dragon girl's wrist and teleported them both to a nearby field. There, he quickly checked her wounds, finding a few that could be fatal if left alone much longer. Removing his grip from her wrist, he tapped her cheek, "Filia. Filia, wake up."

Stirring slightly, the dragon's lids fluttered open, revealing eyes glazed over in pain. Slowly, oh so slowly, they managed to focus on the man's face. "Xel... los... she took him... Val..." Her lids started to flutter closed, the strain of talking draining the little energy she had left.

The purple haired mazoku tapped her cheek again, causing her to reopen her eyes. "Listen to me. I can get Valgaav back, but I'll need your help."

Tears misted over her already clouded eyes, "Can't... Can't help. Can't do anything..." A tear managed to escape one of her eyes, a gloved hand wiped it away.

"You can. But you must not fall asleep now, you must not die. Can you heal yourself?"

Hesitantly, she nodded, then began a healing spell... He was still there when she woke.

"It wasn't a dream..." Xellos looked over at the dragon's soft words, "It wasn't a dream. Val..." Placing a finger over her lips, Xellos stopped her flow words.

"We'll get him back." Blue eye met violet as she questioned how. "I have a plan."

Filia took a deep breath, before expelling it, "What do I need to do?"

-

Slipping past more guards, Filia and Xellos carefully made their way further into Dynst's domain. There goal: the frozen fortress itself. Dodging another set of guards, Xellos muttered something Filia couldn't quite catch. Curious, she moved closer to him, "What did you say?"

Glancing back at her, he smiled slightly, "Oh. I just mentioned that I must've upset Dynst-sama."

She blinked, "What did you do?"

"I sent him a note."

"A note?" She was confused. Why would a note upset a dark lord?

"Yeah... It kind of stated that even though he thinks he's won, he hasn't. I told him that game's far from done and it's my turn."

"Why??"

Xellos placed a hand behind his head, "Well, you see, Dynst has never lost a game. Nor has he ever been wrong in believing when he had won. I wanted him not be so quick in his decision after all, I'm not one of his regular opponents, I'm the trickster priest."

"Oh... Why do think that upset him?"

He glanced back again, a slightly mischievous smirk on his face, "Because he's never had guards within the barrier before." They ducked behind a tree as more guards appeared from around the bend.

After dodging numerous guards, they finally made it to Dynst's stronghold. This was where they would split up. Filia was to remain on this side of the castle, hidden, as Xellos made his way to the opposite position. Nodding once to Filia, he moved off. She watched him until he was out of sight. Settling down to wait for the signal, Filia hoped this would work.

The flag on the highest tower burst into flame.

Standing up, Filia moved a few steps forward, raising her arms. She began to chant holy words. Opposite her, on the other side of the fortress, Xellos began to recite words of darkness as he too raised his arms. Above the burning flag to beings appeared and merged before they could be identified.

Filia fell to her knees, staring in amazement. It had worked. There, flying high above, was a Devil's Angel. Bat wings the color of a cloudy day spread out behind it, hair spun of silver brushed its shoulders and eyes of slate gazed upon the scene below. Xellos smirked, it was strong too.

The first of Dynst's minions to appear where killed within a blink of an eye. By that time Xellos was back Filia. Reaching down a hand, he helped the ex-priestess back to her feet. More fell to their creation as they watched, as they waited. After a while Sherra and Dynst appeared. Waiting for them to be thoroughly distracted, Filia and Xellos made their to palace gate.

Once inside, the purple haired mazoku and the golden dragon began a search for a particular glowing dragon's egg. They had time to waste. Splitting up, they hurried through the frozen halls.

Rushing past multiple doorways, the golden dragon soon found herself before a very large, very strange, door. Reaching out a hand, she brushed her fingers against the door, only to jerk them quickly away. "Xellos!"

Zelas' general-priest responded quickly to the dragon's call. Flying through the halls, he soon reached her and the intricately carved door. He looked at Filia questionably. "Val's in there. I can feel him." Nodding, he turned his attention back to door. It was sealed. Xellos shook his head. It was a strong seal, yes, but it was the same seal Dynst used on everything else. Sighing at the dark lord's predictability, he began to break the seal.

The door was open. Xellos entered first, cautiously, closely followed by Filia, both on alert for any guards or ambushes. Finding none, they relaxed slightly, taking in their surroundings. Even though it was dark it wasn't hard to spot the pedestal in the center of the room. The pedestal that held the egg that was Valgaav reborn.

Xellos moved to the pedestal and retrieved the egg, replacing it was a strangely glowing black orb. Turning to Valgaav back to Filia, he found her regarding him curiously. Smirking, he handed her the egg. Taking the egg, she couldn't help herself, "Xellos? What is that?"

Just before teleporting them away she heard him answer, "Sora wa himitsu desu, Filia-san."

-

Zelas raised an eyebrow as her general-priest appeared before her with the two dragons. Looking to her priest she poised a simple question, "Back so soon?"

Xellos quickly bowed, releasing Filia, "Hai, Juuou-sama. Demo..."

"What is it?"

"May we finish from here?"

Zelas examined her servant, "Should Dynst decide to counter you would all be safer here, ne?"

"Hai, Juuou-sama."

"Well he?"

"I do not believe so, but the possibility exists."

She chuckled, "Always ahead of the game, ne, Xellos? You may finish from here." She turned to Filia, "You are welcome to stay for as long as you may desire."

Filia and Xellos blinked. Filia curtsied slightly, "Arigatou, Juuou-san."

Bowing once more, Xellos grabbed Filia's wrist and teleported them to his chambers. Switching his hold from wrist to hand he opened his eyes and looked into hers, "Ready to release our creation?"

"Hai..."

-

Dynst and Sherra where having problems. Preparing to unleash a combined assault, they paused. The strange being was surrounded by golden light and a black darkness. It separated into two - an angel brighter then the day, a devil darker then the night. No longer one, the majestic beings brushed their fingertips together, as though they couldn't bear to be parted, before fading from this plane of existence. The two mazoku stood staring at the spot the beings had been for a few long moments before Dynst realized something- "The seal is gone!"

Dynst appeared in the room that had once held Valgaav's egg, shortly followed by Sherra. She stood watching as her lord cautiously approached the strange orb that had been left behind. Somehow unsettled, she fought to realize why it seemed so dangerously familiar. Her eyes widened just as Dynst prodded it with a testing finger- she had realized just what it was that Xellos had left behind.

-

Xellos smirked when he felt the island shake. Filia stirred slightly in her sleep. Zelas carefully lowered her wine, wondering what that had been. She glanced up as a rather crispy Dynst appeared shortly after the tremor stopped. "Tell that... _creation..._ of yours that he wins, his dragons are safe from me and mine and I never want to have to see him or them again." With that, he was gone.

Zelas pursed her lips. 'Rude,' she thought. 'I wonder what Xellos did...?' Curious, she teleported to her general-priest's chambers. Quickly taking in her surroundings she found her greatest servant sitting by his bed, watching the golden dragon as she slept. "Xellos."

He jumped up at the sound of his name, spinning around to bow before his mistress, "Hai, Juuou-sama?"

"What, exactly, did you do to Dynst-san?" Xellos blinked. "Dynst came over looking like an extra burnt chicken saying you won, your dragons are safe, and he never wants to see any of you again. So I repeat: what did you do?"

Xellos glanced over at Filia before happily answering, "I left him a power orb in exchange for Valgaav. It's not my fault he had to touch it."

It was now Zelas' turn to blink, "Then, that tremor..."

"Hai, Juuou-sama."

-

Several weeks later Xellos could be found at the reopening of Filia's shop. Jilas and Gravos where there as well, happy that Filia-san and Valgaav-sama where back safe. And within a few more months, Valgaav would be added to the strange family.

End.


End file.
